3 Career Lessons We Can Learn from the Three Stooges

Most of us begin learning career lessons while we’re still very young. In elementary school, we’re taught to be punctual, work in teams, use time wisely, and complete assignments in an allotted period. These are all lessons we need to be successful in any career. As we get older, we may obtain additional information on how to perform in the workplace from college, from watching our parents and teachers, and even from movies and television.

When we think of the Three Stooges, many of us think of silliness, slapstick comedy, and overall hilarity. Their clever skits and mild violence are enough to make anyone laugh. But the trio does illustrate some classic workplace etiquette at times, and we can learn a lot from them on what to do and what not to do in our careers.

1. Be Assertive

Although we have labor departments, labor laws, equal rights laws, and unions to protect us from unfair labor practices, unethical work environments and poor worker treatment is still a common problem. Workers at manufacturing plants complain of long hours, and some workers — specifically those in retail industries –are paid low wages.

What if we could just handle these situations like Moe? Imagine a workplace where a quick bop on the head could solve common grievances. Perhaps problem solving would be more efficient. All joking aside, while Moe may take the “Don’t take any crap from anyone” philosophy to the extreme, perhaps we can learn from his straightforward approach. Although, of course, we have to keep our hands to ourselves.